Shoe



Nov. 26, 1935. V c WILLIAMS J 2,022,554

SHOE

Filed July 16, 1934 I INVENTOR liarl C W BY- .d

%zlsATTo EY Patented Nov. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES SHOE Earl C. Williams, Jackson Heights, N. Y., assignor to W. B. Coon 00., Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 16, 1934, Serial No. 735,339

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in shoes and has for its object more particularly to provide means for improving the appearance and utility of the shoe and for covering and protecting the shoe lacing, together with improved means for securing the protecting means in position upon the shoe.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a laced shoe, an extension on the tongue of.

the shoe foldable to overlie the lacing and having improved means for securing it in said overlying position which can be economically constructed and applied and conveniently released to free the extension when desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved tongue-extension securing means, .including a part which can be readily attached to the shoe lace and which makes it unnecessary to apply any part of the securing means directly to the shoe upper, whereby to' avoid rendering the shoe uncomfortable in service as well as reducing the cost of applying the securing means.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for shaping or curving the tongue extension to cause it to conform substantially to the curvature of the portion of the shoe upper over or upon which it is adapted to lie.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a conventional shoe showing the extended tongue portion in folded position upon the shoe;

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the extension shown in raised position, the securing parts therefor being shown, one on the extension, and another on a transverse portion of the shoe lace;

Fig. 3 is'a fragmentary view drawn to an enlarged scale and in which a portion of the tongueextension securing means is shown connected with a part for curving the extension. to cause it to correspond substantially to the curvature of the instep portions of the shoe upper secured by the lacing;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the curving means for the tongue extension shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, with which is shown connected a part of the securing means for the extension;

Fig. 5 is a detail View showing the opposite part of the extension securing means attached to the shoe lacing;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view embodying a modification of the part for connecting the socket member of the securing means with the tongue extension, and

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary View with the inner or lining portion of the extension broken away to 5 more clearly disclose the part illustrated in Fig.

6 for attaching the socket member of the securing means to the extension.

The same reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts. 10 Referring to the drawing, a low shoe, or one of the oxford type, is indicated generally at It, which may be of any preferred construction, style or shape, and which may be formed of any suitable material, such, for example, as leather. 15 The usual or ordinary tongue of the shoe is indicated at II, and the instep portions of the upper at I2, said portions being provided with the usual eyelets I3 through which the opposite portions of the lacing I4 are extended, the ends of the 2,0 lacing terminating in a bow-tie as indicated at I5.

The tongue II is provided with a flexible eytension I6, the outer extremity of which is scalloped as indicated at IT to improve the appearance of the extension, the extension being preferably formed of inner and outer members I8 and I9, Fig. 6. The outer member is preferably formed of leather, or of material, similar to that of the shoe upper, while the inner member is in the nature of a lining and may be con- .30 structed of any material suitable for the purpose, said members'being preferably secured together by a number of rows of stitching, as indicated at 20 in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, and also in Fig. '7.

The extension, adjacent its point of connec- 15 tion with the tongue I I, is provided with a series of slits 2| which facilitate curving of the extension in a transverse direction at or adjacent its point of folding in order that it may conform more closely to the curvature of the underlying 0 portion of the shoe.

Means is provided in advance of the slits for curving the extension transversely of the instep portions I 2 of the shoe upper whereby to cause the extension to conform substantially to the curvature of said instep portions. Any preferred means may be provided for this purpose, such, for example, as the strip-like member 22 shown in Fig. 4, and by dotted lines in Fig. 3, and which may be constructed of any suitable material, such for example, as metal of a more or less flexible nature which can be readily bent or otherwise formed to afford the desired shape, either before or after placing it between the portions I8 and I9 of the extension, where it is 515 confined by the spaced rows of stitching 29a at the opposite sides thereof.

Any suitable means may be provided for securing the tongue extension upon the shoe in the position shown in Fig. 1, such, for example, as an ordinary snap fastener, the stud and socket portions of which are indicated at 23 and 24, respectively, in Fig.2. The socket member 24 may be positioned at any desired point on the extension [6, depending upon the location of the stud on the lace l 4. Preferably, the socket member has its securing portion extended through the inner portion E9 of the extension and suitably connected with the strip 22 for curving the extension transversely of the instep portions I 2 of the shoe upper.

The stud 23 is preferably attached to the middle or transverse portion Ma of the lace lying between the eyelets at the base of the tongue l l, as shown inFig. 2. The stud is secured upon the lace preferably by a pin, the head of which is indicated at 23a and the shank of which, not shown, is extended through the lace and suitably anchored within the stud.

When the extension is is folded down over the shoe lacing, including the bow-tie I5, it can be readily secured by uniting the stud and socket members 23 and 2d, whereby the extension is releasably held down in proper position by invisible means, so designed as to avoid having to extend any part of the same through the leather of the shoe upper, thus avoiding the use of securing means which would tend to render the shoe uncomfortable to the wearer.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6 and '7, the securing means for the extension is the same as that shown in Figs. 2 and 3, comprising the stud and socket members 23 and 2-4 respectively, the stud being attached to the shoe lace in the same manner and by the same means in both cases.

However, in the modification, instead of attaching the socket member to a part for curving the extension, as previously described, it is secured upon a relatively short strip 25 of suitable flexible material, such for example, as leather which is preferably positioned between the inner and outer portions l8 and IS of the extension and secured by the stitching 26 to one or the other of said portions, or both if desired.

The arrangement of the tongue extension securing parts shown in Fig. 6 permits the extension to be secured relatively close to the instep portion of the shoe over which it is adapted to lie. This is made possible by cutting away the inner portion IQ of the extension to afford an opening 27 therein. By extending the socket member through the opening and through the flexible strip 25, the stud projecting therein is brought into close proximity to the front portion E5 of the extension as shown in Fig. 6, so that the extension is held by the stud relatively close to the shoe, whereby the lacing is better protected and the appearance of the shoe improved.

By securing the tongue extension in the manner described, its tendency when the shoe is being worn, to flap or move up and down, is prevented, and since it is firmly held relatively close to the shoe in overlying position upon the lacing and is secured by invisible means, the appearance of the shoeis improved, while at the same time the lacing is prevented from becoming untied by the overlying portion of the extension.

By utilizing a portion of the lacing as a means for supporting one part of the snap fastener, the expense of applying said part to the shoe upper is avoided, and furthermore the wearer of the shoe will not be made uncomfortable, as would be the case if any part of the securing means were applied directly to the material of the upper. 5

I claim:

1. A shoe having a tongue and a lace, said tongue having a portion foldable into position to overlie the lace when the latter is in laced position, and separate parts secured on the lace and 16 the foldable tongue portion respectively for detachable engagement one with another and for cooperation to secure said foldable tongue portion in overlying position relative to the lace.

2. A shoe having a tongue and a lace, said 15 tongue having an extension foldable into position to overlie the lace, and means for securing said extension in said position comprising cooperating stud and socket members, one secured upon the lace and the other upon said extension. 20

3. A shoe having a tongue and a lace, said tongue having an extension foldable into position to overlie the lace when the latter is in lacedv position, a stud on the front side of a transverse portion of the lace having a part extending 2a;

through said transverse portion for securing it thereon, and a socket member on said tongue extension for receiving the stud and for cooperation with the latter to hold the extension in.

overlying position upon the lace. to j 4. A shoe, having a tongue and a lace, said tongue having an extension formed of inner and outer portions connected one with another, a strip-like member concealed between said portions, a socket member extending through the inner portion of said extension and connected with said strip-like member, and a stud. secured on a transverse portion of said lace adapted for reception by said socket member and for cooperation with the latter whereby to hold the tongue 40 extension in overlying position relative to the lace.

5. A shoe having a tongue and alace, said tongue having an extension foldable into position to overlie the instep portion of the shoe and the lace when the latter is in laced position, a member secured on the extension for curving it transversely of the instep portion of the shoe to correspond substantially to the curvature of said portion, and separate parts secured on the lace and said member respectively for detachable engagement one with another and for cooperation to secure the tongue extension in said overlying position upon the lace.

6. A shoe having a tongue and a lace, said tongue having a flexible extension foldable into position to overlie the instep portion of the shoe and the lace when the latter is in laced position, said extension being formed of inner and outer portions connected one with another, a curved strip-like member extending transversely between said inner and outer portions of the extension and serving to curve the extension to correspond substantially to the curvature of the instep portion of the shoe, and separate parts secured upon the lace and said strip-like member respectively for cooperation to hold the extension in overlying position upon the instep portion of the shoe.

7. A shoe having a tongue and a lace, said tongue having a flexible extension foldable into position to overlie the lace and the instep portion of the shoe, separate parts connected with the lace and the foldable extension respectively for detachable engagement one with another and for cooperation to secure the tongue extension in said overlying position, and a curved metal strip secured upon said foldable extension and serving to curve it transversely of the instep portion of the shoe to correspond substantially to the curvature of said portion.

8. A shoe having a tongue and a lace, said tongue having a part foldable to overlie the instep portion of the shoe upper, a device secured 10 upon said part for curving it transversely of said instep portion of the shoe to correspond substantially to the curvature thereof, and securing means for said foldable part comprising separate stud and socket members one secured on the lace and the other attached to said device, said members being adapted for cooperation to secure said part in folded position upon the instep portion of the shoe. 

